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Wednesday, April 15, 2009

DFB – “Operation Intrude N313” (Metal Gear) – Part III

Heh, I guarantee the last blog for this game is no shorter than the first (combined, all three entries total out at 12,665 words) and it’s mostly built upon ideas flying around my head about the little fan-dev I’ve got going on (I can only talk about the MSX game itself for so long), so if you’re really intent on reading this post, make sure you have some prior exposure to the last two entries. So, let’s get to it.

Fan-Dev Musings

This is SOOOOO not funny.

Arbitrary Presences and X-Factors

I consider this portion of the game extremely dangerous to simply toy with. It’s actually kind of scary for me in particular because I have a penchant for purposefully annoying people for my own hedonistic lifestyle. Plenty of games have a “blackbox component”, or at least something that comes off as offensively arbitrary for the game's sake alone. What’s ironic about Metal Gear is that it CONSTANTLY does this. In fact, it throws so many of these god damn moments against the wall, it’s sheer physics that some will actually stick. In loyal fashion, I’d love to continue this recurring “thechanic”, but I have to choose my moments extremely carefully now. Straying too far from the games proper will end up compromising it's style for my own and that’s the last thing I want. Plenty of people are familiar with the famous “black boxes” of the Metal Gear universe (i.e. the “Colonel” spam-calling the player near the end of Metal Gear Solid 2:Sons of Liberty), but not everyone is familiar with how some of those originate in this title. The player being told to shut the game console off was started in this title by Big Boss himself (which ironically came off as odd computer-talk due to the poor localization). Also, instances like a 10-minute-alert chase up a staircase was introduced not in Metal Gear Solid, but Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake. The franchise is built primarily on these moments usually centering around the series’ humor or “fourth wall smashing”.

Bringing down the Arnold Cyborgs. I think the blatant reference is obvious here...heh.

The most notable one for me in this game was getting the rocket launcher to defeat “Mr. Arnold” in building two. To acquire this weapon, the player must contact Jennifer after they have acquired a four-star class ranking. I didn’t even know this could be accomplished outside certain rooms, so when I finally met the criteria, the bitch still wouldn’t answer me. Finally I got her on the transceiver and she informed me that she would place a rocket launcher in a nearby room for me. There’s all kinds of assumed things going on here (see the section in this blog titled “Creative Procreation”), but they create memorable, frustrating, and controller-snapping experiences for even the most patient gamers. Shaping experience is what I’d consider to be one of the most notable attributes of game designers, and these instances are the precursors to such things. This is especially relevant towards people that still archaically believe that a game should be “fun” and nothing else. The Metal Gear titles were some of the first to cultivate and combat the ideal that this simply isn’t true. Right now, it’s obnoxiously on stage with recently announced titles such as “Six Days in Fallujah”. Everyone getting their hopes up for a “real game showing what the medium can do” is nothing more than a joke to me. Wanting more cultural relevance is one thing, placing responsibility on a game for such matters is “whipping the child” arbitrarily in itself (the age-old game/child correlation). I do indeed hope the title lives up to it’s ambitions, but it’s bullet points are things I’ve gotten from a game long before it came along. This is partially due to the fact that I don’t pretend to be above enjoying certain games like I fear most consider themselves. That in itself echoes the theme of this blog… as my standards are only heightened when it comes to people, plain and simple. Applying them to games is one of the most idiotic things any one person can do.

Birdseye Sacrilege

I’ve heard most of what there is to hear about the camera in Metal Gear. Specifically, I’ve heard most arguments there are to hear about the bird’s eye view. The fact that a traditional third person adventure camera generally makes most Asians sick is nullified when one considers Metal Gear as a franchise with it’s main financial muscle in the U.S. This first title alone proves from the get-go that us silly Americans loved Snake more so than his origin country even did (hence the crappy port & "Snake's Revenge"). The romantic’s argument (similar to Resident Evil’s camera) is that it’s an integral part of the experience. I stopped buying that crock of shit years ago. As a stealth title, most espionage-feel is lost WHEN I CAN ONLY SEE TEN FUCKING FEET AHEAD OF ME. Metal Gear itself gets a pass here not only because of it’s time, but because of the actual perspective being conveyed. Snake’s actual distance from the screen in 1987 probably equates closer to a thirty foot radius, so even the “art of stealth” actually made sense in the first two Famicom titles. The second Snake hit the PSX however, trouble started…as the inherent flaw was up front and center in all areas of the game at all times. Despite that short rant, his PSX debut still remains my favorite game not only within the franchise itself, but of all time.

The “bird’s eye flaw” was an EXCELLENT solution for it’s time period, but I’m left to wonder about any other reasons why it was kept past Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake and up until the first iteration of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. It just became a burden from hell after that, and I’ve heard dozens upon dozens of people claim that’s their sole point of contention with the franchise. This is important because if you don’t ingest something at exactly the right time, you may never understand it. So although Metal Gear has a stalwart and established fanbase, it could have been much larger if that small innate bump was omitted. Questioning even that notion though, the view change could mean countless other “perceived changes” and it possibly might not be so revered (even by me) if such a change was made back then. It’s also notable to consider that the corner-flattened view somewhat gained it’s fame in contesting with the bird’s eye perspective, and not all floors, doors, and corridors were strictly predicated on that view alone...so it was hard to complain about then. It’s necessary to at least consider it’s importance now, and I have no problem with that.

I've only done one establish for Ellen, but it’s not like she’s got a huge role or anything.

Subliminal Sound?

Sound is important in video-games. Sound is REALLY important in video-games, so I’m going to be respecting this as much as I can with this. This is to the point that I’m actually stuck on whether or not I should leave certain twenty year old sounds in a video-game. Particularly, I’m referring to the acquirement sounds (whenever Snake picks up an item or such). The next time you’re playing one of these older games, judge your simple bodily response to picking up an item or power-up. There is an actual kinesthetic response to it. Going for outright realism is a paradox of desire, because if someone picks up a gun, the sounds required to simulate it are actually very simple. Without high quality recording devices however (which will take up more space either way), the effect kind of cancels itself out. If there’s a way to communicate Metal Gear’s little “boodoowoodoowoowoo” (excuse the onomatopoeia), without striving for painstaking realism, I’ll take that road any day because it’s loyal to “substantial style”

It's trashed now, but this was my first sketch with no reference for the TX-55. I guess I was just using it for warm up because the one now is annoyingly detailed in comparison.

To be totally fair though, the other side of that fence has it’s perks as well. The clinks and chinks of playing around with the gun are arguably more important in this time. It’s also why I’m up for advocating actually scaling back the amount of weapons/items available in Outer Heaven, as they’re allusive to game mechanics for that sake alone. If the amount of firearms is reduced, it creates more room for not only individual sound bytes, but also a sense of “graspability” on the player’s part. The indirect effect weaves perfectly into my “Complex Combat” section from my last blog, as it creates a complexity through simplicity (Snake Eater’s M1911A1 is as close as the series has gotten so far). As far as the music itself goes, I’m not going to be picky there either, because minimalist designs are more soothing than expensively counting on illustrious music tracks to save/add to the experience. Silence is an under-used muscle by games, particularly in recent releases. Metal Gear doesn’t even have more than ten tracks and that works to my advantage here, because the tracks themselves are memorable and can be updated in “qualitive” style without breaking the bank. For example, a less obnoxious version of “Tara’s Theme” (see music player on the right side of the page) can carry the game in all sorts of new places as far as a “sneaking game” goes.

Creative Procreation

Videogames encourage sex…in a sense anyway. To quickly poke that old wound I’m known for doing, some people don’t consider video-games an art-form solely because of the “artist’s intent being disrupted through the player’s interaction”. I don’t begrudge anyone their own opinion on whatnot (and make no mistake THAT’S what it is), but that argument is one of the most parochial standings I’ve ever seen regarding video-games. If anything, the melding of the artists intent and the audience’s will creates yet another bullet point on the list of things that a video-game does that all other mediums can’t (and never will be able to do). Context meets given narrative in any medium, but gamers respond this in video-games with outright awe when it’s done consistently (e.g. some of the choices in Grand Theft Auto 4). Metal Gear shows this to me mainly because of the time-period it was made in, but that’s kind of a point in itself because I think I can keep some of these things by encouraging “artistic sex”. I have to “playfully” communicate a gamer’s intent with what I want. As such, I’m presented with what I alluded to in my last DFB for Donkey Kong, the “contextual window” for video-game development.

This has also somewhat diminished in the past few years due to countless people assuming that a video-game’s growth will somehow coincide with some anecdotal film-model made entirely off assumptions (also not considering the individual merits of both mediums themselves). The most obvious example for games that I’ve encountered so far has been “choice” (or at least the illusion of it), so I’ll run with that as a frontrunner for right now. This could mean any number of things for the ol’ fan-dev. For example, I may not have the “defeat” of an Outer Heaven mercenary necessarily equal death, so Snake may have the option of actually killing them (or I can take it one step further by offering a mercy killing). That also reminds me that I’m casting off the non-lethal thematic Kojima picked up since Metal Gear Solid 2. I’m not much for being friendly and that’s going to show in how I present war itself. No matter how stealthy someone is, I’m not going to give them the option to sneak through the entire game without getting blood on their hands because it destroys a point I’m trying to make (see the next section). War could possibly mean nobody gets hurt, but I’m not idealistic enough to pretend like death is avoidable in any form or fashion. I am however, amoral enough to inject a bit of my own bloodlust into this project.

*The earliest drawings I have from the beginning of the project. This is all the major forces Snake comes across in Outer Heaven. From left to right: Shotgunner, Machine Gun Kid, Fire Trooper, Mr. Arnold, Dirty Duck. They’ve all gone through numerous drastic changes though. Just look at the last entry’s Machine Gun Kid and this entry’s Fire Trooper.* MAYBE I’ll post the finished sketches before I die =)*

A New Ending for the Beginning

Has anyone else noticed that this is the only canonical Metal Gear game to end in the dead of the night? Truly, it is. In order, the Hexagonal cornerstones of the series are as follows:

Metal Gear – Ends at midnight as Snake is running away from an exploding Outer Heaven.Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake – Ends at sunset as Holly and Snake escape Zanzibar Land.Metal Gear Solid – Ends as Snake and Meryl/Otacon ride into the sunrise.Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty – Ends as Raiden reconciles with Rose in the streets of New York at daybreak.Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater – Ends with “Naked Snake” saluting his mentor’s grave during what looks like a golden morning.Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots – Ends with Snake near that same grave during what looks like a sunset.

I thought this was important to play up in my little fan-dev, because it instantly sets the ending apart from the rest of the series. It was also the key influence in what probably would be reviled in the sense of “if this game was actually being developed…”. I’m making the game noticeably darker. Given that we know exactly what Big Boss’ “actual aims” were now, it gives me a set parameter for what I can and can’t touch. What I can touch has turned this into a game that’s significantly more morbid that it’s successors, and I’m not ashamed to admit that. I’m just positive that this collective understanding that dark-themed stories are on something of a trendy ascension these days would work against it here (they’re really not so I don’t know who those people think they’re kidding). Plus, I’ve always been a bit of a macabre enthusiast, so this fits me. All things considered, Metal Gear has NEVER been a dark series, solely for the fact that the story is constantly “frolicking” with it’s own humor. Now I certainly don’t want to strip Metal Gear of it’s humor, that WOULD be blasphemous. I do however, want this game to slip a shade or two dimmer, not necessarily for sincerity or illusionist ideal that I must create some super-awe-inspiring narrative, but simply because…it fits.

The primary reason for this is that Snake needs to be virginized again. “Naked Snake” was praised in Snake Eater for having a more naive humanistic take on life; Solid Snake was introduced into Metal Gear’s cinematic universe (via Metal Gear Solid) as a cynical war-hardened veteran (and ironically he was still naive). Argue MG:2, all you want, but the Famicom game’s cinematic reach was extremely limited, so all that was conveyed then was what was told. I feel this has to present a different take for the two progenitor games. Metal Gear Solid 1 illustrated the secret chemical makeup between Solid and Liquid Snake (we’ll get to that when we get to Metal Gear Solid), hence the power of “memes”. After defeating many of the antagonists (in Metal Gear Solid and henceforth) Snake is regarded as a monster far more terrifying than themselves (which culminates in Snake’s exposure to prolonged denial after he confronts Liquid in MGS1). In order to plug into this, I thought it was fitting to make Snake a little purer, so that over the course of the game, the player gets the actual impression of the effect his most infamous three missions (Outer Heaven, Zanzibar Land, Shadow Moses) have on him. To successfully set off a younger and more innocent soldier, a darker overall thematic is necessary as a complement. The Biggest Challenge here is obvious though, as I’m personally obligated to maintaining a certain level of consistency with Metal Gear’s usual humor.

The Boss Fight with Metal Gear isn’t REALLY a boss fight WITH Metal Gear, it’s composed of destroying the inactive model’s feet with explosives as laser-equipped cameras fire on Snake, hindering his progress. So how does one make the TX-55 model of Metal Gear move? More importantly, how does the first bipedal (RAXA was a quadruped) model of the monster machine actually work? As a crazed fanboy for the series, I’m all for accuracy, but when I stray from the source material, it’s meant to have the utmost respect for it at all times. Keeping the TX-55 from moving isn’t special for me, not like the aforementioned ending individuality the game has. Having this as the only model that we don’t see active at all…well, its just bothersome and nothing more. After Shinkawa came along, the Metal Gear units were infused with “untrue sentience”, even within the world of the game. Rex and Ray don’t REALLY roar of course, but through the design and sound, they kind of did; they communicate the aesthetic model they’re based from almost flawlessly.

Dr. Pettrovich Madnar, In subsequent drawings I toned down the whole stereotypical Einstein-esque look for something a bit more humble. I still want something brooding about him given his role in MG2:SS and indirect presence in MGS4:GOTP.

100 Floors?!

Going Down...

What I’ll describe as my first “actual experience” with Metal Gear were the story summaries that came with the original 1998 Metal Gear Solid. Those entries retraced Snake’s first two big missions in Africa (Outer Heaven & Zanzibar Land) which lead up to the Metal Gear Solid. I’m assuming this is because Metal Gear 2 was never actually released in the U.S. (at the time), and Metal Gear had what Kojima calls a “crap game” remake for it’s western audience. One of the standout memories I had was the description given to Snake descending 100 floors into Outer Heaven in order to dispatch Metal Gear. I don’t know exactly what I expected when I finally played the game, but it wasn’t taking an elevator down two screens. I know that's unfair, but that’s how I felt all those years ago and it hasn't gone away, even now. In order to recognize this, I want the sense of peril as well as depth established this time. I especially want an interactive experience as the player runs away from the exploding fortress. If that’s done it will ironically be THE FIRST Metal gear game to feature actual playtime during a nuclear explosion (ironic in that the whole game is built on a nuclear deterrent theme and the only one that’s happened thus far was the cutscene shot of “Davey Crockett’s” mushroom cloud in operation Snake Eater). After experiencing the blast in Call of Duty 4, this will actually be a fairly light-hearted moment. The ultimate flaw in this is that no one can really outrun a fucking nuclear blast, but given that the TX-55 was designed to fire stockpiled nuclear warheads, that means a resulting nuclear explosion with the self-detonation. That’s a bridge I’ll have to cross when I come to it though. The fact that the explosion occurs 100 floors below ground should give me SOME leeway, but I’ll have to do further research on the actual effects of underground nuclear testing. At least that way I’ll know what I can artistically distort to my own liking.

Going back up...

A.I. Playdough Model

Coming off the last blog, it’s obvious that A.I. is a tremendous force to overcome for these types of games. As a tying knot to that blog, I’ll present the idea of “set guards” for the entire base. For this, I’d have to be familiar with how much computing power goes into each guard as it is, but having a set number of individually programmed guards to wander around base sounds like a nice solution. Of course, re-spawning would be an issue as one way it would be incredibly cheap and the other would make the game extremely delicate. Like I said in the second part of this series, establishing any “image” of “represented knowledge” would be a huge bonus in creating an overall illusion. It would also knock the stealth genre ahead a few years from my perspective. The problem is what I just mentioned; I don’t know how much muscle it would require from a computational standpoint, which could render my entirely theoretical idea useless. However, I’d have to actually know the limitations because as with all things, there’s ALWAYS a god damn work-around people aren’t usually adept to seeing. Also, the number of guards is debatable here as well. A seemingly low number of guards COULD work with a little tweaking (e.g. thirty not including bosses and special figures). The difficulty itself would have to be played with in accordance to the number of guards, even to the point of rendering a health bar useless. Raising the tension in “being caught” would be a side-effect of having Snake able to withstand two or three gunshots. Oh well, I guess playing around here too much is useless, because as I said…I need numbers to proceed, plus I have two other ideas accompanying this one.

Quick Story Overview/ Catchup of My Progress

As Snake makes his way through building two, he finds a path that leads him through the basement. While trekking here, he finds someone imposing as Dr. Madnar, but quickly reveals himself to be a suicide-trap setup to lure Snake into a pitfall. Luckily, Snake survives and continues to investigate the basement. While doing so, he runs across a third Outer Heaven elite merc, The Fire trooper. Although this soldier’s offensive capabilities were to his own advantage, he was quickly dispatched by Snake who undermined his aggressive assault with just a pistol. While making his way back through building two however, Snake comes across two androids guarding entry to four doors he needs to access. While deceiving one of them, Snake is able to gain access to the part of the building where the actual Dr. Pettrovich Madnar is being held. After rescuing the scientist, he thanks Snake, but stubbornly informs him that he wont tell him how to deal with Metal Gear unless Snake rescues his daughter, Ellen. After retracing his steps in the dimly-lit basement & a maze of pitfall traps, Snake comes across Ellen Madnar hidden behind a sealed wall of concrete. After he uses plastic explosives to free her, Snake proceeds to make his way all the way back to building two to discuss Metal Gear with Dr. Madnar. Upon reaching him, Madnar informs Snake of Metal Gear’s location and a specific sequence in which to bomb Metal Gear’s feet. He also tells Snake that in order to defeat the androids guarding the doors (dubbed “Mr. Arnolds”), he’ll need to use a rocket launcher. As Snake sets off to find a rocket launcher, he is told by the resistance member (Jennifer) of it’s location. Using this, he’s able to defeat the two androids and is finally free to make his way to building three where Metal Gear is being held.

The Fire Trooper has gone through the most changes so far (over eight). I decided to change “him” to a “her” from the get go; this being for the sole fact that a curt Amazonian woman popped into my head the second I heard “he” was of German descent. It’s still a stereotype, but it’s one I can live with. Plus I needed as much as I could to distance her from “The Fury” from Metal Gear Solid 3. The white suit to his black was just the start of it.

The final two elite mercenary forces.

As Snake makes his way across the desert again, he is contacted by Big Boss and told to flee an oncoming assault waiting for him at building three (by hiding in a truck). However, as Snake takes his advice, the truck starts moving and transports him all the way back to building one. Confused, Snake once again makes his way back to building three and forcibly penetrates the facility. After entering, he’s contacted by Big Boss and told to immediately flee into a room to his left. As Snake enters however, he just narrowly misses the only thing in it, a giant pitfall. Also, as Snake proceeds further into building three, he notices that all the guards seem to be alerted to his presence no matter where he hides. Despite this, Snake is able to make his way to the 100th floor of building three but finds a locked door hindering his progress. Using the advice of a POW, Snake uses a newly acquired oxygen tank to explore the waterway of building two. Using the waterway, Snake locates three more hostages being held captive by a fourth mercenary, The Dirty Duck. This soldier specializes in use of a boomerang and proceeds to fight Snake while using the hostages (one of which is Jennifer’s brother) as shields. Snake is miraculously able to kill the opportunistic soldier (without harming any of the hostages) and frees the captive trio. While all this is going on, Snake receives a call from another resistance member (Kyle Schneider) who claims to know the identity of the mastermind behind Outer Heaven. As he attempts to inform Snake of his unseen adversary, his transmission is ominously terminated. Unnerved, Snake makes his way back to Metal Gear’s base with The Dirty Duck’s keycard and frees a final POW who informs Snake what he’s been suspecting all along, that Big Boss is the leader of Outer Heaven. Snake then crosses the final obstacle-laden rooms and finds himself face to face with Metal Gear Model: TX-55.

Blowing up the TX-55.

Using Dr. Madnar’s technique, Snake is able to destroy the inactive battle tank. As he destroys the machine however, a self-destruct timer is triggered, giving him only a few minutes to escape the base before it explodes. As Snake makes his way out of the base, he’s confronted by his former Commander, Big Boss. Big Boss tells Snake that he was sent in to gather false information on Metal Gear and was never meant to make it this far. Outraged at his crushed ambitions, Big Boss cryptically asserts that he will not die alone and viscously assaults his former-rookie subordinate. Using a rocket launcher, Snake brings the brief but epic battle to a close and continues to quickly make his way out of the soon-to-be-destroyed fortress. Using an earlier-rescued POW’s advice, Snake is able to accurately ascend the only viable ladder that will lead him out of the base. Just as Snake is fleeing the base on foot, it explodes, supposedly decimating everyone and everything in the immediate vicinity.

Snake just makes it out of the base.

On the radio, Snake declares his mission a success and announces he’s coming back to base. He also hears about the explosion he just caused on local radio stations, but is unsettled by a transmission he picks up on his way back. The ominous transmissions inform him that “I’ll never die” and “I’ll see you again...”

Uh...oh.

~End Operation N313~

Recurring Thechanics #3

Turn the Game Console Off RIGHT NOW!I once listened to a friend play through MGS2 up until the point where the "Colonel" tells Raiden to "turn the game console off right now". Though he was being funny about it (God, I hope he was...), it was hilarious to suddenly hear a blinding wave of static through my earphones directly afterwards.

You know…I’ve actually seen people actually turn their game consoles off in response to this? It’s pretty hilarious even when someone is doing it facetiously. Anyway, as Snake makes his way to where Metal Gear is being stored, Big Boss calls him and curtly instructs the player to turn off the game console immediately. This is echoed later on in the serious (probably more famously as well) as Raiden is running around nude within Arsenal Gear. He is called by his commanding “officer” to turn the game console off. Fittingly, the game also recounts orders given directly to Solid Snake prior to his entrance into Outer Heaven (as well as monochrome video-clips from the MSX version). It’s humorously recalled by many gamers now, but in 2001, it was actually more than a little freaky at the time (not too unlike Psycho Mantis' initial appearance). This is exacerbated in actuality when one considers that Snake just seemingly betrayed Raiden to be stripped, tortured, and spammed with creepifying messages.

Fourth Wall Smash

Big Boss is a big jerk.

Also including the previous recurring thechanic, Big Boss spamming the player filters into an almost scary contextual piece-together for the player. After reaching building three, Big Boss tries to kill Snake on no less than five occasions:

He tries to force him back to a hostile building with waning supplies.He leads snake directly into a room where he can only walk onto a pitfall.He informs Snake to “shut the game console off”He alerts all guards in building three to Snake’s exact location.He tries to kill Snake on his way out of Outer Heaven.

The ways in which this generates individual context to the player is actually pretty magnificent for it’s time, and it further ads to the earlier section of this blog. My very first impression of this situation moved on a spectrum from hilarity to outright annoyance. Not too many games were “narratively" talking to the player” in 1987. Smashing the fourth wall is something Metal Gear is known for and it’s nice to see that it wasn’t some trendy mechanic picked up solely in the series’ reemergence as the 1998 classic.

Interactive Torture

OWNED.

During the room right before facing off with the TX-55, Snake finds himself in a room with an electric floor. There is no panel, so the R.C. missiles are rendered useless. Just after entering, he receives a call from Diane, who tells him simply… to “run fast”. For me, this was extremely reminiscent of what I’d experience all those years later in Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. Even though Snake & Raiden are both tortured in previous and subsequent titles, “Old Snake” and the player are both forced to drag themselves down a hallway full of microwaves which brings Snake to his stomach and the player to a button-pressing frenzy. What Metal Gear Solid 4 did admirably was illustrate constantly in many different ways how old Snake actually was. It certainly wasn’t an intentional choice (at least I don’t think so), but Metal Gear features a young Snake brashly running across an electrified floor with no problem (unless he doesn’t have a ration of course). It’s a nice bow on the ”whole package” to say the least. Interactive torture is in itself not new the the series as well. The player experience “Snake’s Pain” in Metal Gear Solid 1, 3, and 4 (Not to mention Raiden’s in 2). As much as people complain about Metal Gear Solid’s cutscenes, I don’t see enough praising of it’s actually very well-done interactive moments. Apparently not many do, as moments like these still remain individual to the series alone.

Metal Gear was one of the first titles to give people a glimpse into how we could experience a story “strictly” through a video-game. The quality of the story itself is a cliché argument among many now, and as a series that’s successfully thrived for over twenty years on one of the most broken game logistics ever (e.g. a stealth title), it has delivered to the industry in spades. At the end of the day, how can one really argue against that? If anything, the fact that series has made it as far as it did is a testament to the potential our little industry has. Snake is just as important to us as Mario, the difference? Well he was just a bit stealthier about it…heh.

The next post was going to be Friday, but I rather like this entry and of course…it’s rather…comprehensive to say the least. So…I’m going to let it simmer down for the rest of the week in order to give more people a chance to read it.